In the early morning hours of September 24, 2021, Terry Dejuan Smith Jr., a 26-year-old male, was driving to his job as a Jefferson County Public Schools bus driver in Louisville, Kentucky. It was a routine he likely performed many times, but this day would tragically be his last. While on the Watterson Expressway, between the Taylor Boulevard and Dixie Highway exits, the unthinkable happened.
Gunshots rang out, and Smith was struck multiple times.
Following the shooting, his vehicle crashed into a wall along the expressway. When law enforcement arrived at the scene, they found Smith deceased. The coroner later confirmed he had died from his injuries. The incident was not just a fatal crash but a homicide that left a family grieving and a community in shock. Smith was remembered by his loved ones as a joyous, enthusiastic, and loving father and son who had a gift for making people smile. He was a man who, according to his mother, was always there for anyone who needed him, a quality that made his job serving others as a bus driver a perfect fit.
Despite the public nature of the crime, occurring on a busy interstate, the case has grown cold. A year after his death, Smith's family gathered to honor his memory and to bring renewed attention to his unsolved murder. They expressed their belief that he was not the intended target of the shooting. As of now, the Louisville Metro Police Department has not publicly identified any suspects or made any arrests in connection with the shooting. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities continue to seek information from the public that could lead to a breakthrough in the case. His family continues to hold out hope for justice and answers as to why their loved one was taken from them so violently.
